Doctor Zhivago Trivia

1. Who directed the 1965 movie "Dr. Zhivago"?

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: David Lean

David Lean also directed "Ryan's Daughter", "Lawrence of Arabia", and "The Bridge on the River Kwai".

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: David Lean

During the next 20 years, David Lean only directed two more films. "Ryan's Daughter" in 1970 and "A Passage to India" in 1984. Lean was married six times, one of his wives being Ann Todd who was once married to Lean`s cousin Nigel Tangye, the prolific Cornish writer.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: Alec Guinness

Guinness plays Yevgrav Andreivich Zhivago, Yuri's half-brother. At the start of the film, he is looking for the child of Yuri and Lara - his niece. He then tells Yuri's and Lara's story to 'The Girl' (played by Rita Tushingham) whom he suspects is his niece.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Dr. Zhivago's brother, Yevgrav

Most of the narration in the movie is done by Alec Guinness as Yevgrav, who is a Soviet official looking for his niece.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Lara Antipova

In the film, Lara (Julie Christie) lived with her mother, who by trade was a dressmaker. She became engaged to Pasha Antipov (Tom Courtenay). She later became the mistress of Zhivago, with whom she had a love child Tonya (Rita Tushingham). Julie Christie was cast in this part mainly due to her performance in "Billy Liar" (1963). Tom Courtenay, her co-star in "Zhivago" played the part of Billy Liar.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: At a funeral

The young boy Yuri (played by Omar Sharif's son, Tarek) is first seen at his mother's funeral, in a remote region of Russia, before his mother's friends the Gromekos take him to Moscow to live with them. We first see Omar Sharif as the grown-up Yuri at the hospital where he is studying to be a doctor.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Strelnikov

Pavel Pavlovich ("Pasha") Antipov, is a young political activist. He later is missing in action in war, and re-emerges as the powerful Strelnikov. Strelnikov captures Yuri as he and his wealthy family escape the Soviet redistribution of wealth, but later releases him.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Spain

As the book was banned in Russia, Lean had no chance to make it there. Some minor scenes were shot in Finland.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: On a road at the Russian front, during the war

They do not speak to each other until well into the film, during the war, in a scene where the deserters confront the replacement troops. The film keeps us interested in their eventual love story by showing us near encounters - the early one on the streetcar, and ones where Yuri sees Lara but they don't meet - at her mother's apartment and at the Christmas party.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: his girlfriend

Dr. Zhivago asks Komarovsky what happens to young women when men like Komarovsky are finished with them. Komarovsky then offers Lara to Dr. Zhivago as a wedding present.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Geraldine Chaplin

After the death of his mother, young Zhivago was cared for by Alexander and Anna Gromeko who had daughter named Tonya. Growing up together, they became sweethearts and eventually married. Audrey Hepburn was also considered for the part of Tonya. Audrey Hepburn was born in Belgium.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: Komarovsky executed Yuri's father's will.

In the film, Yuri first sees Komarovsky (played by Rod Steiger) when he is assisting another doctor treating Lara's mother, who is Komarovsky's lover, for self-inflicted iodine poisoning. Yuri later tells the doctor about his father's will.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Julie Christie

David Lean said that producer Carlo Ponti's wife, Sophia Loren, was too tall for the part. Geraldine Chaplin played the role of Dr. Zhivago's wife and adoptive sister, Tonya. Julie Christie was cast as Lara in "Dr. Zhivago" and was later cast in "Shampoo".

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Heart attack

Yuri was on a tram when he saw Lara in the street. He rushed off the tram and pursued her, but finally collapsed on the pavement and died before catching up with her.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: Pasha Antipov

In order to escape from being Komarovsky's mistress, Lara (played by Julie Christie), asks his permission to marry her revolutionary friend Pasha (played by Tom Courtenay). We get the impression, however, that she really doesn't love Pasha - Yuri Zhivago of course later becomes the great love of her life.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif had worked with director, David Lean, in "Lawrence of Arabia", and thought he might be right for the part of Yuri's brother in "Dr. Zhivago". David Lean offered Sharif the title role. Lean advised Sharif not to become typecast as "the desert fox" type character. The Dr. Zhivago character later became a poet and, of course, a doctor.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Maurice Jarre

Jarre also composed the music for "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge Over the River Kwai". "Lara`s Theme" ("Somewhere My Love"), which was heard continually through the film, reached the top ten on America`s Billboard 100.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: Geraldine Chaplin

Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie Chaplin, plays Tonya, Yuri's wife. It was her first starring role - previously she had been a fashion model. Julie Christie plays Lara, Yuri's other love. Siobhan McKenna plays Anna Gromeko, Tonya Gromeko's mother. Rita Tushingham plays "The Girl", who calls herself Tonya Komarova, and who may be Lara's and Yuri's child, though that is never fully verified in the film.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: He sees her on the street.

Dr. Yuri Zhivago practices medicine again, although he is quite ill himself. He sees Lara as she is walking on the street and the trolley in which he is riding passes her.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Boris Pasternak

The film of this book was not seen in Russia until the mid '90s. Pasternak died in 1960, five years before the film was released. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for literature which he turned down, but years after his death it was accepted by his son.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: His mother-in-law is dead and the Gromeko's house has been turned into apartments.

Siobhan McKenna, who plays Yuri's mother-in-law, dies during the war, and after the revolution a lot of strangers move into the Gromeko's Moscow home. "There is living space for 13 families in this one house", says the Soviet delegate.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Boris Pasternak

Boris Pasternak's book, "Dr. Zhivago", was banned in the U.S.S.R. at the time the 1965 film was in production. Pasternak was not permitted by the Soviet Union to accept the Nobel Prize for "Doctor Zhivago".

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Omar Sharif

Zhivago was a man obsessed with Lara. He first met her when, as a young doctor, he attended Lara's mother who had attempted suicide. In life he realised that he could not support himself with his first love(writing poetry), so after attending medical school, he became a doctor.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: Varykino

The Gromekos have a country home at Varykino, which is not far from Yuriatin. The big house has been boarded up by the Soviets, so they move into the cottage.

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: The Russian Revolution

World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the Russian Civil War together create the backdrop for the movie. These conflicts and the challenges that they create for the characters add complexity to the story.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: The girl

Rita Tushingham was born in Liverpool, England and landed her first major role as Jo in "A Taste of Honey" playing opposite Albert Finney. She was only 23 years old when she played Zhivago's daughter in "Dr. Zhivago".

From Quiz Dr. Zhivago

Answer: Lara's Theme

Maurice Jarre's score won an Academy Award. "Lara's Theme" from that score became one of the most well-known popular songs from a film. Sunflowers losing their petals were used in the scene in which Yuri and Lara are leaving the field hospital. A balilaika was inherited by Yuri from his mother.

From Quiz "Dr. Zhivago" (1965)

Answer: Omar Sharif

The son of Omar Sharif was called Tarek Sharif. He was seen at the opening of the film.

From Quiz Doctor Zhivago

Answer: A dam

At the end of the film, after Yevgrav asks the young man, named David, what he operates, Tonya points to the dam and says "that". There's also a nice shot of the dam in the closing credits. I think the point the film makes is how far along the Soviet Union had come since the dark days of the revolution.

This is category 19652

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